When Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist, He used the universal basics of life, bread and wine, to be transformed into His Body and Blood. The Mass, repeated daily all over the world, transforms the humble offerings of bread and wine into the Eucharist. In every county grapes are grown and wine is made and shared. For many years people drank wine (or other alcoholic beverages) instead of water because of poor sanitation.

Wine has now become more of a luxury than necessity, but it is still is a universal and social component of life. And while the Catholic Church did not invent wine, we can thank Catholics (priests, monks, nuns, etc.) for improving and preserving the method of winemaking. So much of Church history can be traced through the history of alcohol. (Many aspects are included in the The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Wine, Whiskey, & Song by John Zmirak and Denise Matychowiak. It’s an A to Z approach to various beers, ales, wine, etc. with short lessons on the Catholic Church, the Catechism, history, and culture. It’s delightfully written and includes delicious recipes.)

Enjoying Wine with the LIturgical Year

As a Catholic we don’t have to be ashamed to enjoy drinking wine. Wine, approached temperately is a drink to enjoy socially. My family has always enjoyed having wine for our get-togethers. The two questions always raised are “Who is bringing the wine?” and “What kind?” (Generally my extended family enjoys bold reds, usually Cabernets.)

My own courtship and marriage has been highlighted by the enjoying of various wines, for extra-special occasions and evening hours after the children are in bed. We have enjoyed sharing certain wines together, and those memories have enhanced the flavor of certain vintages. My husband and I try different varietals and various countries of origin, but always return back to the bold reds.

Wine can be incorporated quite easily into adult celebrations of the Liturgical Year. I have a few unorthodox suggestions for expanding and trying different wines, and incorporating them into family and feast day celebrations at home. Of course wine connoisseurs may not agree with some of my suggestions, but truly, our family has found some very fine wines this way. It’s fun to experiment and wander away from the usual standards.

To begin, I suggest familiarizing oneself about different types of wines and varieties from various regions from different countries. Next, know what flavors appeal most to you. Do you prefer sweet wines, bold reds, dry white wines, traditional varieties, or newer grapes? What countries do you want to “visit” by tasting? After all, wine doesn’t only come from France and California.

Have fun by trying out different wines. In my local area Trader Joes, Costco, Total Wine, and even Wal-Mart have many wines priced very reasonably, so one can experiment without breaking the bank. Read labels and descriptions and pick something that appeals to you. I’m in no way suggesting buying “Blue Nun” for a blue bottle for a Marian feast or a sister’s habit for a nun’s feast day, but if some of the choices do come down to a choice of a label, go with what appeals to you! There are hits and misses, but the madness of this method is for a twofold purpose: enjoy the wine, and get to know a saint more intimately.

Suggestions for Celebrating with Wine with the Liturgical Calendar:

Follow the feasts in the Church that incorporate wine and blessings.The older Roman Ritual contains several blessings for wine and the current Book of Blessings also has one. There are specific feast days officially connected to the blessing of wine. St. John the Evangelist on December 27 has twoblessings for wine, and there is one for the feast of St. Blaise, February 3. The feast of the Transfiguration also traditionally has a blessing of grapes. whichwill be used for wine.There are also local church traditions connected with wine, such as the upcoming feast of the Transfiguration in Rome. In France on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, November 11, Beaujolais Nouveau is drunk. Both feasts locally celebrate the new wine in various stages. There are also annual blessing of grapes in different vineyard of California, such as Woodbridge Winery, for example.

Find a winery or type of grapes grown near where a saint was born or lived, or where his remains are held. Pinpoint the region of origin or mission territories or relics of saints. Finding out about the wine of the region helps one understand the local climate and geography. Is the region arid and dry, very wet through the year, or does it have very wintry weather? Is the landscape mountainous or coastal? Knowing the terroir of the saint canreveal some of his/her daily hardships.Today is the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a saint from Basque country of Northern Spain. Basque country wines are not universally known, but there are quite a few to try. St. Josemaria Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Spain near the Somontano Region, which produces several varieties of wine. For more Spanish ideas see Spanish wine and map of regions. Cava, port, and sherry would also fit into the Spanish heritage.

Frascati, a refreshing white wine, would be perfect for any pope’s feast day, particularly those that fall during summertime. While on a trip to Rome, we had a day excursion nearby the pope’s summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. We enjoyed with our dinner the local wine, Frascati, and found out that it is a favorite with Romans (including the Pope) during the summertime.

Find the type of drink from time period of saint or an old winery that dates from around time of saint. Since the majority of saints on the calendar are mostly from Europe, the choices will generally be European wines. Blessed Junipero Serra is an outside example. He founded many of the older vineyards during his mission work in California. According to the book The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Wine, Whiskey & Song, mission wineshave been used in the United States since 1769. The priests needed wine to say Mass, so they planted their own vineyards, bringing European vines to strengthen the American wines. Angelica is the first variety produced. “Private companies raising the old Franciscan grapes include RobertMondavi and Gallo. Angelica is often bought by churches for use as altar wine at Mass by priests….”Loosely one could use American Mondavi or Gallo wines to cover feasts like the angels, Saint Anthony, Saint Francis, and any other saints used for Californian missions.

Find vineyards/wineries named after saints, feasts, religious orders, popes, maybe same country of origin.My husband and I have enjoyed California’s Franciscan for Franciscan saints, Italian Feudi di San Gregorio for our family’s name saint, St. Gregoryand other Italian saints.One special treat wine for us is Châteauneuf-du-Pape. According to Zmirak, “[t]his spicy, dense variety of wine is usually red, and typically excellent.” The name means “the pope’s new Chateau or Castle”, with the papal keys usually found on the label. The vineyards were established during the time of the Avignon Papacy or Western Schism. I consider using this wine for a) French saints near this region, b) for saints like St. Catherine of Siena, who worked so tirelessly to bring the pope back to Rome, and also for c) papal saints, just because the visual of the papal keys on the label is great for discussions.

Match the season with the saints.Consider cool whites for summer saints and reds to warm oneself during the winter months. Also consider Wassail or mulled wines for those colder seasons.

Reflect the liturgical colors in the wine.For feasts of virgins, papal saints, the liturgical is white; the winecan be white to match the color. Red is the liturgical color for feasts of martyrs, apostles, saints that were bishops and cardinals, which makes red wineappropriate for those feasts. On Pentecost, with the red vestments, this is another feast to serve red wine. For the high solemnities like Easter and Christmas and Epiphany, serve white sparkling wine or champagne.But the color is merely a suggestion. Our family favorites are bold reds. We just spend a little more for a fancier wine on special feast days.

This looks extensive, but I’m really not suggesting anything out of the ordinary or difficult. It’s the process that’s fun.

A toast to the love of our Mother Church and her saints!

Share this:

Like this:

July 25 is the feast of St. James the Greater, apostle. St. James the Greater was one of the twelve Apostles, but had a special relationship with Jesus. How many times do we hear of the threesome, Peter James, John? They were present at the Transfiguration, they also were called to come closer to Jesus in the Agony in the Garden.

But this feast day did not stand out to me personally until at the age of 27 I took a Spanish class at Franciscan University of Steubenville with Señorita Capote. She was a lovely, vibrant Cuban woman who was very holy and contagiously enthusiastic, especially about the Spanish language and culture. I was working hard to finish my Spanish requirements, so I was taking Spanish 102 over the summer. Although Señorita had officially retired from teaching, the usual Spanish teacher was on maternity leave, so Señorita taught the class that summer. And she changed my viewpoint on St. James forever.

July 25 occurred during our summertime class, so Señorita decided to make it a celebratory feast day. Santiago is the Spanish form of James, and the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela is located in Spain. This is the shrine of the apostle James, where his body located, and this cathedral in some form or another has been honoring St. James and hosting pilgrims since the 9th century. Señorita brought in photos, videos and stories, described the pilgrimages along Camino Santiago, or the Way of St. James, the geography, the traditions, the foods and the whole festivity of St. James. She painted the picture of how on July 24, St. James’ Eve, fireworks are set off around the church, and the whole facade is outlined in lights….

Share this:

Like this:

Restoring the order of the sacraments of initiation made the headlines again this week as Archbishop Aquila of Denver made an announcement that he will be implementing this change in his diocese. His pastoral letter Saints Among Us will be published on May 24.

Under the restored order, the sacraments of initiation will be conferred as follows: baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. While baptism will continue to take place at its normal time, confirmation will take place in the third grade, during the same ceremony as first Eucharist….

He explains the theological reasons for changing this order:

In the early Church, Christian initiation began with new life in Christ through baptism. This was followed by confirmation, which perfects the grace of baptism, fills us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and prepares us to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. In other words, the sacraments of initiation are “are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it” (Catechism, no. 1324). The Eucharist completes initiation and is the lifelong sacrament that nourishes and strengthens us to be authentic disciples.

Unfortunately, the current confirmation process is not consistently forming authentic, lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Instead, as Pope Francis said in a 2013 address to Italian young people, “what is this sacrament called? Confirmation… No! Its name has changed: the ‘sacrament of farewell.’”…

He also expands on how the graces of the sacrament will help the children in this secular age to become saints, which is what I touched on two weeks ago when Bishop Silva of Honolulu made the same changes.

Share this:

Like this:

Twenty-one years. That’s how long I’ve made a Kahlua Cake. A housemate in college shared her recipe for Kahlua Cake and I was hooked. This is a rich, moist, chocolate cake that is memorably delicious. I’ve written about this several times, illustrating how the recipe has evolved.

I’ve used this recipe in various forms for many occasions, including as the Groom’s Cake for our wedding, my brother-in-law’s 40th birthday cake, my husband’s birthday cake shaped in a football stadium, and a cake for my father’s 70th birthday. Continue reading

Share this:

Like this:

The season of Advent which opens the new Liturgical Year begins this Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Church provides this time as another opportunity to renew, refresh, and prepare. Trying to balance living a Catholic culture during these days is a challenge. Many of us are already overwhelmed with the secular preparations for Christmas, bombarded by the marketing and “holiday season” frivolity. To sort through all the wonderful Catholic traditions and ideas to celebrate Advent with a proper spiritual focus is equally distracting and paralyzing.

An Evening with Father Leo

In preparation for Advent, this month I attended “An Evening with Father Leo Patalinghug,” a local event held at St. Veronica’s Church in the diocese of Arlington, Virginia, hosted by Living Advent and Arlington Diocese Council of Catholic Women. It was an evening of delicious food, good conversation, uplifting thoughts and many laughs, but above all, Father Leo, the keynote speaker, zoomed in an essential practice that everyone should focus during Advent (and throughout the year).

Like this:

I have been hinting at this for a while and the time has come! To celebrate my move to my own domain and to thank all my (15, I think it is) faithful readers, I’m offering a copy of my absolute favorite liturgical cookbook:

Share this:

Like this:

My friend Carole mentioned she was making one of my recipes, and I realized that I never transferred over that post from my old original blogspirit blog!

I originally did this recipe for the Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker in 2006. May 1 is also known as “May Day” which begins the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

May 1st has gone through a lot of changes over the years, first being a pagan fertility rite, then the focus shifted to Mary, Mother of God, with the focus on Mary all through the Month of May. Industrialism and Labor Unions promulgate this day as Labor Day, so Pius XII gave this feast to give a role model of a worker and protector.

I wanted to honor my husband, the main worker and protector of our family, since May 1 would be his feast day.

We enjoy spreading Pascha, the Easter Sweet Cheese Mold on the Paska, just like in one of our favorite children’s books, Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco. At first I was a bit confused, as the name for the dessert cheese is Pascha (or Pashka), very close to the Ukrainian name for the bread. And “Pascha” is the Orthodox name for Easter. Once I got the names sorted out, I was convinced I had to try the cheese. I didn’t have an “official” mold, so used the clean clay unglazed flowerpot. Be sure to make ahead (the recipe says 2-3 days. Wednesday or Holy Thursday is probably the latest). I omit the candied fruit and the almonds, as I want a smoother, creamier texture. My husband always requests this so I have been working on improving this every year.

This is an absolutely beautiful and delicious dish; versions are prepared in Poland, Russia, the Ukraine, and Latvia. It is made in a tall mold (or flower pot), then turned out onto a large platter and decorated. Cool and rich, it tastes like a cross between ice cream and cheesecake. It goes wonderfully with other the sweet Easter breads, such as Kulich, or Paska Or Easter Sweet Bread or with various Easter cakes.

There was some discussion of the “farmer cheese” from the previous post. This is a more difficult ingredient to find. My grocery store carries this, the brand is “Friendship”, but you can also try ethnic grocery stores. Some people have had success with Mexican queso fresco. It is NOT an aged hard cheese, but a soft and crumbly, almost like ricotta, or a softer version of feta. It is usually found near the yogurt, cottage cheese and/or sour cream, but not in the cheese section.

If you cannot find farmer’s cheese and need to use large curd cottage cheese or ricotta, rinse the cheese with cold water and drain well in a fine colander. Ricotta might need to just be drained. Then take a fine mesh strainer and press the cheese through to make it finely sieved and ready to mix.

I’ve had trouble over the years having the mixture drain well so it becomes firm. Last year was my most successful year. The flowerpot that works well for me is an 8″ clay flowerpot. But I have found the shorter and wide flowerpot drained better than the tall pot. The picture below shows the two 8″ pots, but the one on the left is the one I use for both the bread Paska and the cheese spread.These are just clay pots made in Italy that I found in my local gardening store. I cleaned well before using.

After covering with cheesecloth, I place a small plate on top, then used a weight (literally, one or two of my husband’s free weights) and then put the pot in a large bowl. Last year the bowl was shaped that the pot was suspended above a few inches, instead of flat on the bottom. This allowed more draining.

For decorating I just keep it simple. And face it — no matter how beautiful the presentation, after one small serving it never looks “pretty” again. But that doesn’t matter, because it is super delicious and everyone will keep coming back for more.

Beat the egg and the yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until the mixture is thick and creamy. Pour into a saucepan and add 1/2 cup of the cream.

Heat over medium-low heat, beating constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and continue beating until the mixture has cooled to lukewarm.

(NOTE: I use a wire whisk to beat while heating. I have a gas stove, and using fresh cream from the farmer the mixture is already very thick. On the heat this takes about 10-15 minutes. You know it’s getting thicker when you see the sugar dissolving. At the beginning it’s very grainy. After removing from the heat I either put back in the stand mixer and just beat until cooled to lukewarm, or keep in saucepan and stir with the whisk. I don’t do it constantly, but very regularly, while I’m beating the other ingredients.)

In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, butter, the other 1/2 cup of cream and the vanilla. Cream until the mixture is smooth. Add the egg mixture, then the fruits, almonds, and orange or lemon rind. Blend thoroughly. (NOTE: At this point the mixture is very soupy.)

Line a flower pot or Pascha mold with 2 thicknesses of cheesecloth. Place the pot over a bowl (to catch liquid), and pour the Pascha mixture into the pot. Put a layer or two of cheesecloth over the top, set a plate on it and something heavy on the plate. (The purpose is to press the extra liquid out of the Pascha and into the bowl below.) (NOTE: After pouring into the mold, I put a plate and then weight it down. I gradually add more weights, my husband’s free weights, after the mixture has chilled longer. Try to place a plate that covers the whole top. There will be oozing over. Do not panic.) Chill overnight or for a day or two.

Remove the top cheesecloth. Unmold the Pascha onto a large platter, and remove the rest of the cheesecloth.

Decorate the Pascha with the candied fruit peel or maraschino cherries or nuts to form the letters XB or CR (Christ is risen) on one side, and on the other side a cross. You may use the Western cross form or the Orthodox cross, or any other cross design that you prefer. In Russia, Pascha is often decorated with an angel and a lily, as well as the cross.

Around the base and on top of the Pascha, place fresh strawberries. Serve chilled.

Yield: 14 to 16 servings

The best part after making these goodies, was arranging the Easter basket for a blessing at our parish by the pastor. I included our Easter eggs, pysanky, ham, wine, butter lamb, paska and pashka. This year I bought a simple Easter basket cloth made by some Catholic ladies in Johnstown, PA, which I can’t wait to use.

A blessing on the Paschal feast, and your celebration!

Update 2016: After struggling for many years on my molds not draining, a friend suggested I use true Pascha molds. I got two red plastic ones. The symbols did not leave an imprint on the molds, but they did drain well! I highly recommend going this route.

I find one of the most difficult aspects of baking cultural recipes is finding the right tools. This is an example — “Paska molds are somewhere between the height of a souffle dish and a 3-pound coffee can.” So this recipe uses either two 3-pound coffee cans or two 8-inch souffle dishes. I have neither on hand, and always forget this until it’s too late. So I’ve made due either with a Pyrex or Corning Ware casserole dish that is 8 inches across, or a wider mouthed (clean) flower pot that is also 8 inches across. (More on the flowerpot down below.)

The details on the recipes are two pages long, but basically you can compare the previous recipe for Paska. Here’s my adapted ingredient list:

For the Pan:
Butter
1 cup dried bread crumbs (I skip this and just use butter)

For the Topping:
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon cold water

Using a mixer: Sprinkle the yeast in the water to soften in the mixer bowl. Add the milk, yolks, butter, sugar, zest, vanilla, salt, brandy and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on medium-low for 2 minutes, adding the flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides. Change to the dough hook and and continue kneading on medium low, adding a tablespoon at a time.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl and coat the ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (This is one of my frustrations with my kitchen. This always takes longer for me, almost double the amount of time. I’m hoping my “proof” setting in my new oven will change this.) Meanwhile, heavily grease the pans, and if desired sprinkle the sides and bottoms with bread crumbs.

On an oiled surface, turn out the dough and set aside about one-fourth (1/4) of the dough and cover it. Divide the remaining dough and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place the dough in the prepared molds. Divide the remaining piece of dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each one into a short dough equal to the diameter of the molds. Snip the ends of each rope about 1 inch. Lay 2 ropes at right angles to each other (the shape of a cross) on each loaf and curl the ends outward.
The decorations on top of the loaf are very individual, and can be ornate. These hints from Ukrainian Easter by Mary Ann Woloch Vaughn are extremely helpful. I did a simple cross and made an Alpha and Omega on either side of the cross, reminiscent of the Paschal Candle decorations.

Cover allow a second rise for about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. with 10 minutes remaining. Right before baking beat the egg with the cold water and brush over the top of each loaf.

Bake for 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread is 190 degrees F. Remove the bread from the pans immediately let cool on a rack.

Share this:

Like this:

Holy Thursday celebrates the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Eucharist was established within the Passover meal by Jesus with His Apostles. A wonderful way to bring home the richness of this feast is to imitate the Last Supper by recalling some aspects of the Passover meal, and a foot washing ceremony with the family in imitation of Jesus. This a wonderful tradition to start in the family. If things are rushed on Holy Thursday, move the meal sometime before Holy Thursday (Wednesday night, for example) so that the whole family can participate in imitating Christ at the Last Supper. I went into deep detail in this post, so for this one I’m only using excerpts and focusing our menu and traditions. I also found pictures from last year that I haven’t posted.

We do not try to recreate a seder meal or imitating an element of Judaism. We are only imitating Christ at his Last Supper as He was following the description in Exodus. Elements of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, such as the Mass readings and foot washing, are included to prepare us for participation at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Incorporating the various senses in this meal really helps active participation, particularly for children.

Holy Thursday is one of the biggest feasts in the Church year, since it commemorates the institution of Holy Orders and of the Holy Eucharist. Our table is beautifully decorated, with a white tablecloth (in imitation of the white vestments used at Mass) and the good china, silver and crystal. I was inspired by this section of In This House of Brede to add flowers at each place, although last year I forgot.

We serve dessert (since this is a special feast day, no Lenten abstaining here) sometimes a cake in the shape of a lamb (there are numerous types of lamb molds available at craft stores or baking supply stores). Before or during the dinner, Exodus 12:1-20 is read —- the story of the first Passover. Then the New Testament reading about the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist is read from either Matt 26:17:30; Mark 14:12-26 or Luke 22:7-20.

Outline of Menu Suggestions:

These foods loosely follow the instructions in Exodus, “A lamb…a year-old male lamb without blemish…That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs….”

Grapes (reminder of the wine of the Last Supper which becomes the Blood of Christ)

Dessert (Because it’s a festive day in the eyes of the Church)

Since we leave for the Mass that evening, we usually don’t have wine, but I will serve grape juice, and everyone has the nice crystal to drink a toast.

Our family doesn’t like the taste of lamb, so I’m actually serving roast beef. It looks similar to lamb. It seems Holy Week has extra constraints, so while I want to make a festive meal, sometimes time, energy, (and nowadays) and budget is lacking. One year my mother actually made a meatloaf in the lamb cake mold pan. Definitely memorable.

We’re saving the lamb cake for Easter, and I will choose a dessert that won’t have leftovers to taunt us during Good Friday. Depending on my time, I might make unleavened bread, following Maria von Trapp’s recipe. If I use regular bread it will be small individual loaves at each place setting. For my son with food allergies, I will serve gluten free bread sticks. Another alternative is serving Hot Cross Buns, again, like Maria Von Trapp.

Before or after eating, the family gathers for the “Washing of the Feet”, which I’ve described here in a previous post.

The boys are reminded that this meal is different than what the Jews celebrate because Christ already died and saved us, so we are not still awaiting a Messiah. We are not obliged to follow the directives for the Passover meal, we are merely doing it in imitation of Christ, so we can use all of our senses to know, love and serve Christ. While eating Exodus 12: 1-20, the story of the First Passover, is read aloud. This is the same first reading at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

The meal is simple, joyful, and family-friendly, and wonderful preparation to enter more deeply into the liturgy of the Sacred Triduum.